Accidental Peppermint Meringue Cookies

It all started because I had leftover meringue from the recipe below and needed to do something with it. So I thought, hmmm?, how about adding peppermint for little meringues? So I looked up how to bake meringues (300 oven for 10 minutes, then turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven overnight). Well, I needed to bake something else at 450 for 15 minutes; approx. 4-5 minutes after turning the oven up, I smelled something and realized it was the little meringues! They were pretty brown (and crunchy after cooling), but ended up being a most wonderful dessert and were the hit of the night! So, here is my accidental cookie recipe (follow the Pavlova recipe and add 1/2 tsp peppermint extract)

Pavlova Recipe (from http://elise.com/recipes/archives/004356pavlova.php)

Meringue:
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar *I use cream of tartar* OR 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar OR distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch *I use tapioca starch*
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar *can also use birch sugar(xylitol) in equal exchange, but it takes longer to dissolve, for meringue to set and will not allow the meringues to become crunchy, just marshmallow-like*
3/4 cup (6 ounces, about 6) large egg whites, preferably room temperature
Pinch salt

Topping:
2 pints fresh or frozen berries
1/4 cup sugar

Whipped Cream for topping

1 Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 275°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 Mix sugar (xylitol if using), corn (tapioca) starch in small bowl. set aside.
3 In a large bowl (preferably cold and stainless steel) place the eggwhites, vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat until white and fluffy about 2-3 minutes
4 Add sugar mixture slowly until all is mixed in and stiff peaks are formed (when you put the back of a spoon in and the meringue doesn't fall down) *If making the peppermint cookies here is where you add the peppermint, too.*
5 If making Pavlova's, place enough meringue to make a 3" circle and make an indentation with a spoon (for the fruit, later). Bake for 50-60 minutes at above temperature until firm, but slightly golden in color. (if you underbake, you have most excellent marshmallows!)
6 *If making the cookies, make 1 1/2" circles, turn the oven up to 300 to bake for 12 minutes, then turn up to 450 for approx. 4-5 minutes until lightly browned. This should make crunchy, peppermint cookies. YUM! Low fat AND satisfying!*

Experiment - but most of all - HAVE FUN!!